In the recent 27th National Diet of Japan, the ruling coalition formed by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party failed to secure a majority of seats. The Prime Minister, Taro Koichi Shirakawa, led a government that suffered a severe blow, with calls for him to resign within the party.
On the morning of the 23rd, several mainstream Japanese media outlets reported on the afternoon of July 23, 2025, that Shirakawa had indicated his intention to resign. This quickly became a hot topic of interest in Japanese society.
△On July 23, 2025, local time, Tokyo streets were filled with headlines from Yomiuri Shimbun reporting that Prime Minister Shirakawa had decided to resign. (Photo from Visual China)
That afternoon, Shirakawa held discussions with three former prime ministers: Taro Aso, Yoshihide Suga, and Fumio Kishida, each of whom served as the Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party. These meetings were described by Japanese media as “a special exception” because it was unusual for multiple former prime ministers and the current Prime Minister to meet in such a long-lasting discussion.
Currently, Aso serves as the highest advisor to the Liberal Democratic Party, while Suga is the Vice President of the party. Both are key figures within the party’s power structure.
△On the afternoon of July 23, 2025, former Prime Ministers Taro Aso (left), Yoshihide Suga (middle), and Fumio Kishida (right) arrived at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters successively. (Reported by Asahi News website with accompanying photos)
After the meeting, Shirakawa told the media that the discussions did not address his own future plans; instead, they focused on exchanging opinions about the crisis within the party and reached a consensus that the party must not split apart.
Shirakawa stated that reports about his intention to resign were “false,” reiterating his decision to continue leading the government.
△ Screenshot from the website of Japan Broadcasting Corporation
In an interview with China International Studies Research Institute’s Asia-Pacific Division, special researcher Xiang Haoyu pointed out that the defeat of the ruling coalition in the Senate election has put Shimogoro facing multiple pressures.
Firstly, since the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost more than half of its seats in this Senate election, it has experienced three consecutive losses in major domestic elections since Shimogoro became the chairman of the LDP and the Prime Minister of Japan ten months ago. This outcome has sparked intense dissatisfaction within the LDP. The party is continuously calling for Shimogoro’s resignation, and some local branches have also requested him to step down from the LDP headquarters. Shimogoro is now under tremendous pressure from all levels within the party.
Secondly, after a crushing defeat in the Senate election, Shimogoro’s government’s approval rating has hit a new low. Previously, Shimogoro’s ineffective measures in addressing issues such as rising prices had not alleviated the public’s economic burden, leading to inflation in Japan. Coupled with some scandalous remarks by government officials, these factors have weakened the party’s credibility. Shimogoro will face significant public opinion pressure when continuing his leadership.
A poll released by Kyodo News on the 22nd showed that the approval rating of Shimogoro’s cabinet has dropped to 22.9%, marking the lowest value in this poll conducted by the agency since Shimogoro’s cabinet took office in October last year.
According to Japanese media reports, the ruling LDP plans to convene a temporary National Diet on August 1. The opposition parties may propose a motion of no confidence against the cabinet during the temporary National Diet, demanding Shimogoro’s resignation.
△ Photo: The exterior view of the Japanese Parliament building (Image provided by Nikkei).
Xiang Haoyu believes that the future path of the Japanese ruling coalition will be exceptionally difficult.
Nowadays, the internal contradictions within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are intensifying, and the public’s support for the ruling coalition is continuously declining. The economic situation in Japan is also not optimistic. In light of these factors, the opposition parties have become skeptical about cooperating with the LDP. All these will make the future governance path of the LDP extremely challenging. After becoming a minority in both houses of parliament, the LDP means that if it does not receive support from the opposition when advancing major policy agendas, related policies may be likely to encounter obstacles during the parliamentary review process, leading to a halt in its governance efforts.
Looking at the LDP, the future competition and struggle around the succession candidate for Shirakawa Kazunari and the internal layout of party members will intensify. The instability within the party will also affect the cohesion and decision-making efficiency within the ruling coalition.
More critically, the continuous decline in public support rates mean that if measures in response to people’s livelihood issues are not handled properly in the future, the trust crisis of the ruling coalition will further intensify. The current support rate has already dropped to near the “watershed” area, and the future dissatisfaction among the public may bring greater pressure to the ruling coalition through various means.